


Under the Influence

by yuletide_archivist



Category: Nightrunner Series - Lynn Flewelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-20
Updated: 2005-12-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 08:13:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1640780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuletide_archivist/pseuds/yuletide_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec has a surprise for Seregil.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under the Influence

**Author's Note:**

> Written for corialis

 

 

Alec smiled to himself as he heard Seregil swallow. The sound went straight to his stomach - and lower - as he stepped closer, pressing up behind his lover and slid his arms around Seregil's shoulders and neck. He let the cloth blindfold trail up and over Seregil's features until it was set securely between the bulge of his forehead and the slope of his nose. "You can't see, can you?" he asked, in Seregil's ear, making sure to breath in it as he talked. "I'll know if you're lying. When we're this close, I can tell. You've taught me that much."

Seregil swallowed again and Alec could see him straining to lean back into his arms, the muscles bunching tightly in Seregil's arms and shoulders as he held himself back. "What is this surprise you've arranged? It doesn't involve Theo, does it?"

 _Perhaps not all the way back,_ Alec thought, smiling. He pressed his lips to Seregil's neck gently, resisting the urge to lick along the pulse he could feel beating there, and secured the cloth blindfold tightly, tying the ends into a tight knot it would take even Seregil a few minutes to undo while bound.

Things had been different here, now, at home. Not terribly different from before but it was much a time of rebuilding for both of them. The loss of Nysander, the recent troubles with Klia's expedition and Seregil meeting his family again for the first time since his exile, and Alec's own revelations had all jumbled up and combined for both of them. Recently, their relationship had been slightly strained. Seregil had spent the time rebuilding his estates. It didn't make up for the lives lost, of course, but Alec sensed it was something the other man _needed_ to do. Their little "vacation" to Seregil's home hadn't alleviated any of his guilt and all his actions since then had been often in tribute to those lives that Seregil valued who were lost.

Alec understood that. He understood grief.

His grief for his father had faded, over time, but was still a small coal smoldering into ashes and warm embers in the morning light of a fire that had burned for some time.

Soon Seregil would move on to that. He was sure of it.

It was up to Alec to support his love until he reached that moment of acceptance, however long it took. Which was where his "surprise" had come from.

Surprisingly, it had been Theo's idea. He'd mentioned it, in passing, to Alec in a conversation in the tower. Alec had taken the seed and run with it, stretching his limited contacts - mostly by abusing Seregil's name and his position as "ward" - to get the job done.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore," he said quietly. "Just be patient, Seregil. You'll see soon enough." Alec ran his fingers gently through Seregil's longer hair, loosening it from the blindfold so it was caught or pulled by the cloth. "Just keep your hand on my shoulder and follow me." He kissed Seregil's neck a second time, running his teeth along Seregil's vein and stepped back. "Just trust me and I'll keep you out of trouble." He'd arranged it so the streets were relatively clear from here to the Street of Lights.

Of all the favors he'd had to arrange, that part had been the most difficult to arrange.

It was worth it, he believed, for the expression Alec expected to see on Seregil's face. He licked his lips, wetting them just slightly, as he slipped in front of Seregil and maneuvered his arm up so he was gripping Alec's shoulder.

Once he had a solid grip on Alec's shoulder, Seregil slipped up close behind him. The position mimicked Alec's own as he tied the bandage. "You went to some effort for this, Alec," he said. Alec just nodded in reply, feeling Seregil's smile against his shoulders, wry and sly, like the Seregil of old. "I'll have to make sure you know how much your efforts are appreciated." His voice deepened, just slightly, as he talked, a sure sign of his arousal. If the way Seregil's hips were molded to Alec's back weren't a very good sign.

Alec grinned and started leading Seregil through the mostly cleared back alleys toward the Street of Lights. The less common foot traffic was being diverted by servants sent by Lotus House to require their way. It was a little extravagant but Alec had wanted everything to be a complete surprise to Seregil. Even the path was circuitous, in order to make it harder for his lover to count the turns and steps or recognize sounds and scents of the location and guess before everything was in place.

Alec had complete confidence that Lotus House had their rooms arranged for the night just as Alec had described them. But it wouldn't be complete until Alec himself had changed and taken his place.

He and Seregil had tried several things during the length of their relationship to pass the warm and cool nights but this idea was something that had never come up. He was sure that Theo hadn't even realized what mischief his innocent comment, "It amazes me how easily Seregil can become someone else," had sparked in Alec's mind.

The smile on his face grew wider. Theo had loosened up in the years since Alec had stumbled along after Seregil but even now, Alec doubted Theo would _want_ to know the little "scene" he'd devised for Seregil's benefit.

Not that Alec wanted to share his bedroom adventures with anyone but Seregil.

"We're almost there," he assured his lover, turning his neck so he was looking over his shoulder. Seregil had a small smile on his face, just the tiniest lift of the corners, but the expression - the happiness - that was back was enough to take Alec's breath away.

"Good. I'm getting impatient to see what it is!" He sounded just like a little boy, eager and excited for a present.

It warmed Alec's heart.

Seregil doing that was way things should be.

It felt like home again.

 


End file.
